Sparked
by I.M. Elizabeth
Summary: When Matt meets Layla's brother, he finds something in him is sparked into a bright flame.  Mello/OC   Matt/OC  *Yaoi*


_A/N: Please be gentle with this story guys. I've never written any kind of yaoi, but I've had this story in my mind for ages. I also hope you guys won't hate Matt's little first crush mention, and I hope you'll still be okay with MelloxLayla by the time this is over. Enjoy!_

**Sparked**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note or any of it's respective characters. However I do own Mika and Layla Levandi, please do not use them without my permission.

It was hard not to be jealous of them, sometimes anyway.

Mello and Layla most of the time were like ravenous tasmanian devils. Like the sadomasochistic rodents, Mello and Layla did primarily two things, fought and had sex. And in a weird way, their fighting was almost a way to prove themselves worthy of one another, their bruises like badges proving love.

At least, that's how Matt looked at them, and yet, sometimes his jealousy of that relationship overwhelmed him.

The relationship they had with one another was crazed, violent, and sometimes cruel. But at other times, the two of them could seem inseparable, and it was hard to believe they fought at all.

And today, was one of those days.

It wasn't like they suddenly became characters in a sappy romance or anything, and it probably would have seemed mild to a passerby, but to Matt, the feelings the two shared would be worthy of jealousy.

Mello and Layla lay sprawled out on the sofa, Mello flipping absentmindedly through a magazine and Layla lay curled up on his lap, smoking cigarette after cigarette. It wouldn't have appeared out of the ordinary to anyone with a sane relationship really, but even while Matt sat in the loveseat across from them, playing his video game he couldn't miss the subtle signs of affection shared between his two friends.

The way Mello's gloved hand would slip, ever so lightly against the back of Layla's head, he'd comb his fingers through her long brown hair and then stop, before starting the cycle all over again. And Layla, after a moment of this would reach up and squeeze Mello's fingers.

Their faces never changed through any of this really, Mello still focused on his magazine and Layla still smoking but even Matt could feel that powerful connection between them in the air, filtering around them like smoke.

It was enough to make him want to hurl. Most of the time he was glad when the two of them stopped bickering long enough to be friendly, but these kind of acts made him feel like he was witnessing something perverse and a little private. Not that Mello had any sense of privacy regarding Layla, he pretty much felt if someone didn't like it, than they could go avert their fucking eyes.

That was what Matt was trying to do, but it was hard when the air felt sticky with their bond.

He was grateful when there was a powerful knock on the door, breaking the two lovers out of their thoughts.

He bounded across the room to answer the door, stepping outside when he saw a young man standing in the doorway.

He was probably a little shorter than Mello, and his figure seemed lanky and somewhat awkward despite his shortness. He had light, coffee colored hair that was pulled back in a messy half ponytail, and wore a teal turtleneck with grey slacks. He had two piercings, an eyebrow ring and a silver spike, just below his bottom lip His eyes too, were a shade of silver, and for a moment Matt thought they looked oddly familiar.

"Um, can I help you?" Matt asked, staring at the stranger, he didn't exactly look like someone who was in the mafia, and he didn't look like a policeman either, so Matt supposed it was safe to speak with him.

"Eh, yes." the man said. His accent was incredibly thick and Matt had pause for a moment to process his speech.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled photograph of what looked to be a family portrait which he handed to Matt. The photo showed two solemn faced children, one a small boy and next to him an even smaller little girl. Behind the children was a sharp, grim faced woman, her long hands on the boy's shoulders, however, she didn't seem to touch the girl at all.

"I'm looking for my sister." he said tapping the photographed girl.

Matt shrugged and handed the photo back to him.

"Sorry, mate, I've never seen her."

Then he paused, turning to go back inside of the apartment

But he was surprised when the man gripped his forearm with a kind of hasty strength, pushing him to turn around.

The man's eyes seemed pleading when he spoke, "My name is Mika Levandi...that little girl, her name is Layla...I-I thought she lived here."

Matt blinked in surprise at the man, "Layla? You're looking for Layla? How do you know her?

The man known as Mika shuffled his knees against each other. "I've come to take her back to Estonia. She is my little sister."

Then it hit him, this Mika had the exact same eyes as Layla, the way they seemed to plead and beg.

"Um...listen...Mika..." Matt said slowly. There was no way in hell Mello would let Layla leave his side to go back to the homeland that he'd often claimed held nothing but bad memories.

Then, the door opened and Mello stepped out into the apartment's hallway. "What the hell do you want?" he sneered nastily at Mika.

Mika seemed taken aback by Mello's rudeness and Matt bit back the urge to apologize to the Estonian man.

"Mika says he's Layla's brother."

Mello's eyes widened sharply and he turned his gaze to Matt questioningly before looking again at Mika.

Mika it seemed had already taken an instant disliking to Mello and he tilted his chin upwards, "And how do you know my sister?"

"What's it to you?" Mello sneered.

"Mello's her boyfriend." Matt said quietly, placing a hand on Mello's shoulder, hoping to calm the tense blond man.

Mello slapped away Matt's hand impatiently and advanced on Mika with a feral look in his eyes. Mika however stood his ground and glared back at the blond man. "Let me see my sister."

Matt could tell Mello was on the verge of saying no, but he interrupted quickly, "Sure, of course you can see her. Hang on just a second."

Then, he was dragging Mello back inside where Layla still on the couch, reading the magazine where Mello had left off.

"Do you have a brother named Mika?" Mello demanded, before Matt could even try to explain anything to her.

She jumped a little and blinked as if she was clearing her eyes, "Yes. I do."

"He's here." Matt said, before Mello could get a word in.

Layla sat up so quickly that it was a wonder she didn't get dizzy and was practically running out the door to greet someone she probably hadn't seen in ten years.

Mello made the move to follow her but Matt stopped him, holding on to his shoulder with a kind of stark firmness. "Give them some space."

Mello glared sharply at the redheaded man, but didn't move from the spot.

"Who the fuck does that guy think he is?" Mello bristled, "Coming around after ten fucking years to say hello to his little sister."

"Relax, Mello." Matt said suddenly, "He doesn't mean any harm."

However, the sound of Layla's frantic Estonian filtered in through the walls and Mello's head shot upward at the tone of her distress.

Matt's hand on his shoulder was now gripping him almost painfully and Mello glowered at him. "Let go."

Matt shook his head, "No, you need to let them talk things out, he's family to her, she's probably a little overwhelmed."

The sounds of the two Estonian's argument filtered harshly through the walls, Mika's tones becoming more abrasive, while Layla's seemed to become shrill and almost panicky. Until finally she blurted out something in english.

"I don't give a damn what Mama wants!"

Mello's head shot upwards, and he yanked his arm away from Matt's grasp, his fingernails scratching uselessly on his leather coat.

"Mello, wait!" Matt hissed, "This isn't your place!"

Then, Mello whirled around so sharply that Matt wouldn't have been surprised if Mello had intended to throw a punch at him.

"Like hell it isn't my place!" Mello snarled, "If there's anything going on out there involving Layla I'm going to know about it!"

Then, he was charging out the door, Matt following close behind.

Layla it seemed was near tears while Mika folded his arms and looked expectantly at her.

"How can you say that Layla?" Mika asked incredulously, "I know that things were not the most pleasant, in our home...but how can you say that about your own mother?"

"No!" Layla said vehemently, "I will never, ever go back there."

Mika huffed, "I was supposed to bring you home."

Suddenly, Mello stepped between them, as if he were trying to shield her from her brother's gaze, "This is her home."

Mika crossed his arms and snorted, "You are her boyfriend? Why no marriage? If this is her home, why is it not a house?"

"Mika," Layla interjected, but Mello through out his arm to stop her.

"If you're so concerned about Layla then why are you coming here now? Why didn't you write, or call?" Mello sneered.

Then Mika wrinkled his nose and his eyes flickered down onto Mello's rosary.

Distaste filtered up into the Estonian's eyes and he snarled, "Russian? You are fucking Russian?"

Mello blinked, seeming a little taken aback, before his blue eyes narrowed viciously. "_Da._ I am."

Then Mika looked incredulously at Layla before giving her a harsh glare. "You have been fucking a _Venelane_? A filthy Russian? He put this shit in your head didn't he? He's the one who's convinced you not to come home? You stay for this _tibla?_"

Mello was practically seething, and when he spoke, Layla had to lean in to hear him. "Go inside." he hissed.

Now, Layla clutched at his jacket, looking panicked. "Mello, let it go, let it go. Don't kill him Mello!"

At the word kill, both Mika and Matt's eyes shot upwards. _Would Mello kill the only family Layla had? _Matt himself wasn't so sure, this Mika kid had a big mouth and some kind of seething hate for Russia. Matt wouldn't have put it past Mello to kill someone who insulted him like that.

Layla was very near tears now, pleading to Mello with a kind of frantic impatience, slipping clumsily from english to estonian. "_Ära tapa teda! _Mello, let it go. _Ta ei tähenda midagi halba!_ He's only worried about me..."

It seemed however that her frantic begging was irritating Mello, and he turned on her swiftly, "What am I gonna do? Shoot him in the apartment? Shut up and go inside."

She looked gave him a last, pleading look before nodding dutifully and disappearing inside of the apartment.

It was as if Layla's disappearance spurred Mello into action and he suddenly had Mika shoved against a wall, his forearm pressed against Mika's throat. The two men glared at each other and Matt found himself staring helplessly at the two.

"You have a big fucking mouth for an Estonian." Mello said, his voice dangerously low. "You know who I am? You know the kind of people I work with? You can't imagine the things I've done. Don't you ever come around my fucking home..." He pressed his arm harder against Mika's throat, "...and try to take away what's mine."

Then, Mello backed away and spit hatefully on the ground.

Without warning, Mika's fist connected sharply to Mello's jaw, the blond's head flying back sharply. Then, Mello turned and threw a sharp punch at Mika's nose. Blood splattered from the wound and Mika fell back, clutching at his face and swearing at Mello in Estonian.

"Get him the fuck out of here." Mello snarled at Matt before striding back inside the apartment.

Instantly, Matt went to pull at the Estonian man's arm and helped him to his feet. However, Mika threw Matt's hands away and growled at him. "Get your fucking hands off me."

Matt raised up his palms and sighed, "Sorry mate, sorry.

Then, the brunette man's eyes softened minutely, "Fine. Do not worry about it."

The two began walking in mild silence out of the apartment complex and Mika let out an aggravated huff, "So that is my sister's love interest? She could not find a doctor, or a nice Catholic boy. No, she finds some Soviet man."

Matt lit a cigarette and offered Mika one as well, which he took gratefully. Matt leaned in to light his cigarette, scowling when the wind kept moving the flame on his lighter. Hesitantly, Mika placed his hand over Matt's own when he lifted it to shield the flame from wind.

It was as if electricity was jolted through his fingers and he jumped, staring down at the Estonian man with a tiny smile.

"What?"

"Nothing," Matt said softly. "Look, uh, maybe I can help you see Layla again. I mean, Mello's not going to let her go to Estonia when she doesn't want to, but I can at least make sure you spend some time together."

Mika gave him a sharp look, then sighed, his lips wrapping around the cigarette. "I suppose that will have to do."

"For now, yeah." Matt said, stubbing out his own cigarette with his toe. "Look, I'm sorry about what Mello did to your nose."

Mika wiped at his nose with the edge of his hand, "Yeah. It will be better later." he said thickly.

The silence between them was terse and Matt couldn't help but remember the feeling of Mika's fingers on his.

"I gotta go back." Matt said suddenly. "Be here at four in the afternoon, Mello's usually gone around that time."

Mika nodded, then turned, something strange in his eyes that Matt couldn't place.

"Thank you for the cigarette..." he said thickly, then walked out of the entryway to the apartments.

"Yeah," Matt mumbled, "No problem."

When he had strode back into the apartment, Mello and Layla were talking quietly in the kitchen, their voices barely above a whisper. It seemed that they hadn't heard Matt enter the room and he watched, slightly curious.

"...didn't do anything?" Layla murmured, leaning against the counter. It was obvious she had been crying and even Matt could see dim shimmer the tracks from her tears had left on her cheeks.

"I told you already," Mello snapped irritably, "I didn't do anything to him. Your brother is fine. Quit questioning me. I told you I wouldn't kill him and I didn't."

More tears began to flow from her eyes and Mello looked slightly taken aback, before heaving a sigh. "Don't worry about it."

"I don't _want_ to go back to Estonia. I don't want to see her again, ever." she blurted out, sobs erupting from her and making Mello jump.

He clucked his tongue at her and Matt knew he was about to lose that tough guy resolve that he always had. He knew the one thing that managed to tug at the blond man's heartstrings was if Layla started crying, he hated it.

Sure enough, Mello's gaze softened just a little bit and he pulled Layla against his chest.

Mello combed his hands through her hair and placed a firm kiss on her temple. "You're not going to Estonia, Kiska, not if you don't want to."

Then she was kissing him, leaning up and pressing herself against him. Matt watched, slightly fascinated by the way Mello's hands gripped her cheeks, and Matt was suddenly reminded of the feel of Mika's hand on his. He wondered briefly if that spark of electricity went through Mello and Layla every time they touched.

Shaking his head free of the thoughts Matt slowly snuck past the kitchen and into the living room where he plopped on the couch and fell into a heated sleep.

The next day thoughts of Mika had filled his head and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the feelings the Estonian man had given him. The way his fingertips had slid over Matt's hand, sparks flying into his pores.

Matt had always known he was gay, ever since he could remember. And these feeling originally had manifested themselves into a crush on Mello. He followed Mello around constantly the first year Mello had arrived at Wammy's, done anything Mello would ask, just for the sake of getting Mello to like him.

But then Layla had arrived. Matt never really perceived her as a threat to his friendship with Mello, more like someone who could balance out the people Mello could inflict his anger on. But, as they got older, pudgy child bodies shifting into the early stages of being teenagers it became obvious to Matt that he didn't just like Mello as his friend.

He'd wanted more, wanted to kiss Mello, wanted Mello to kiss him back.

And it had become more and more obvious that Mello did not feel that way. Mello didn't like boys, Mello liked girls. Mello liked one girl, and that was Layla. And Matt, was the furthest thing from being Layla.

But, he couldn't bring himself to resent the Estonian girl, the girl who followed Mello around like a puppy and constantly stroked the boy's ego. When Mello had disappeared and Layla had come up with the idea to track him down, Matt began to learn just how devoted Layla was. The two of them had practically starved on the streets of LA, digging through the trash and eating any bit of food they could find.

He recalled once how they had been so hungry that Layla had eaten a rotten sandwich, picking maggots carefully off the meat, the pitiful sight of it almost making Matt cry. But a little while afterwards, the two of them were huddled together underneath a park bench and Matt had asked her why she was willing to go that far.

"Because it will bring me closer to Mello." she'd said, with this determined note in her voice.

And how could he hate her for that? Her devotion to Mello would never waver, she was like an animal in a trap that would rather gnaw off her own paw then be separated from her mate.

That was why Matt always fought so hard on Layla's behalf when it came to fights with Mello. She had suffered for him, just for the love he so rarely gave her and hardly expressed. Several times in arguments with him, Matt had considered explaining exactly how much he and Layla went through to save him, telling Mello his lover had eaten rotten meat, picked maggots with those nails she kept so well, all to save him.

Mello would have died if he'd heard that. He was stingy when it came to affection, but when it came to his portrayal of physical love, Mello made sure she was well provided for. She had anything she'd wanted, a Corvette, nice clothes, proper paint and easels. Mello would have never stood for her going without anything and Matt was sure just the thought of Layla touching anything with maggots on it would have broke Mello's heart.

He'd always just told himself to be patient, and that one day someone would be that devoted to him as well.

So, as he drove up to the apartments at three in the afternoon, a new video game in tow, he was surprised to see Mika leaning against a car, his long brown hair still tied up in that half ponytail and piercings glimmering in the light.

"You're early," Matt said, as he got out of the car, trying to mask the smile that flickered on his face.

Mika shrugged and Matt could see the pale bruise that was beginning to form on his nose. "I thought I would say thank you." he said amicably, and tossed Matt a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

"You didn't have to-" Matt began sheepishly but Mika shook his head.

"I must admit, I was wanting to touch your hand again." he said with a smirk.

Suddenly Matt flushed sharply, "A-are you...gay?"

Mika's brow furrowed, "You are, are you not? I am usually not wrong about such things."

"I am, yeah." he said wracking his brain. Here was the perfect moment, the moment that felt like it was supposed to be and he was sitting here like an idiot. What would Mello do? He thought frantically. Mello would react. Yes. Reacting would be smart.

Matt suddenly leaned down and kissed the Estonian man shyly, breath shaking every time his lips passed over Mika's.

When he pulled away Mika was smiling curiously at him. "A simple touch of the hand would have been sufficient." He gently reached over to squeeze Matt's hand gently. "I do not object to kisses either. But, I'd prefer we go out or something before we kiss again."

When Matt glanced down, Mika was still holding his hand and sparks were flying into his skin.

With a sudden surprise he realized he didn't feel so jealous of Layla and Mello anymore.

"I'd really like that, Mika."


End file.
